FDA approves new lice treatment

It’s something that some of us are lucky to escape while others seem to get it again and again: lice.

Sending your children can bring home more than colds and viruses, it can bring in those itch- and emotion-causing critters who live in the hair.

Contrary to popular belief though, lice aren’t attracted to dirty hair and living in a spotless home won’t guarantee your child won’t come home with some hitchikers on his or her head.

Treating lice is becoming controversial as problems arise from lice becoming resistant to certain treatments and the strength of the products we’re putting on these young heads. But, short of shaving your kid’s head, there’s really not much we can do to prevent it.

The FDA has just approved Benzyl Alcohol Lotion, 5%, as a prescription medication for use in patients 6 months of age and older.

According to their press release:

“Head lice are a problem that impacts more than a 1 million children each year and is easily transmitted to others,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This drug is an effective first line treatment to eliminate lice infestation, and minimize disruption in the daily routines of families.”

The safety and effectiveness of Benzyl Alcohol Lotion, 5%, was demonstrated in two studies of 628 people, 6 months of age and older, with active head lice infestation. The subjects received two, 10-minute treatments of either Benzyl Alcohol Lotion or a topical placebo, one week apart. Fourteen days after the final treatment, more than 75 percent of the subjects treated with Benzyl Alcohol Lotion, 5%, were lice free.

Common side effects of the medication include irritations of the skin, scalp, and eyes, and numbness at the site of application. As with all medications, it is important to use benzyl alcohol, 5%, as labeled to maximize benefits and minimize risks. The product should be applied only to the scalp or the hair attached to the scalp. It is not approved for use in children younger than six months. Use in premature infants could lead to serious respiratory, heart- or brain-related adverse events such as seizure, coma, or death.

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